Pictures From Protest At Oakland Safeway

by Z

Sat, Jan 31, 2004 7:08PM

Around one thousand people marched on a Safeway in Oakland today to protest Safeway's attacks on workers in Southern California. Several local labor organizers and several clergy say down in the road in front of the store and were taken away by the police.
The strike by 70,000 Vons, Ralph’s and Albertson workers for affordable healthcare is now past its 100th day. If the giant food chains gets it way health costs for these workers will rise 50% and put it out of reach for many who make an average of $20,000 a year. The contract for Northern California grocery store workers expires this summer and the struggle being waged in the South will have a big impact on their contract as well as the entire labor movement.

Workers in Southern California have come up North to ask working families, "Don't shop Safeway anywhere." Grocery workers are fighting to keep affordable health care insurance – something that all working families have earned. Instead, Safeway wants to take away health care.

Here are the facts:
-Safeway demands that workers take a 50% cut in health care coverage.
-Safeway demands that workers making $12 an hour pay up to $5,000 a year to keep their health care.
-Safeway demands that new hires wait a year before they become eligible for health care coverage.

Grocery workers are willing to pay a fair share – over $2,000 a year – to keep coverage. But Safeway said no and walked away from talks.
Working families won't be able to get the health care they've earned under Safeway's proposal and will be forced to rely on overburdened public health care programs.

Californians shouldn't have to pick up Safeway's bill as it pushes working families into taxpayer-funded health care programs.

§Pictures From Protest At Oakland Safeway

by Z

Sat, Jan 31, 2004 7:08PM